Department for Transport

Railways: North of England

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they estimate the feasibility studies for the Ashington-Blyth-Tyne trainline in Northumberland and the Fleetwood trainline in Lancashire will be completed.

baroness vere of norbiton: The restoration of passenger services on the Ashington Blyth Tyne Line is being developed. The Department for Transport funding contribution announced on 28 January will enable completion of an Outline Business Case and a decision soon on proposals for the next ‘Design‘ stage. Fleetwood is in the early stages and the funding will be used to look at a range of options to reintroduce passenger services. The detail of this study and the completion date is still being determined.

Bus Services: Franchises

baroness kennedy of cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) how many Mayoral Combined Authorities have introduced bus franchising, and (2) how many other authorities have applied to the Secretary of State for Transport for the powers to introduce bus franchising, since the introduction of the Bus Services Act 2017.

baroness vere of norbiton: Under the Bus Services Act 2017, mayoral combined authorities (MCAs) have powers to implement a franchising scheme without further involvement from Government. Transport for Greater Manchester concluded a consultation exercise on their proposals to franchise bus services in Manchester on 8 January. A decision is expected later this year. Under the Bus Services Act 2017, only MCAs have automatic access to franchising powers. Other types of local transport authority must seek permission from the Secretary of State for Transport. None have yet done so.

Railways

lord rosser: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement byBaroness Vere of Norbiton on 29 January (HLWS69) which stated that "Wherever you live, you deserve a railway that widens your children’s horizon, gives you access to highly skilled, highly paid jobs, and provides a viable green alternative to getting in your car", how many people in England they estimate do not currently have access to such an alternative.

baroness vere of norbiton: This Government’s vision is for a transport system that is an engine for economic growth, is more environmentally sustainable and improves quality of life within our communities. Passenger numbers on the railways have doubled since privatisation, and this growth has brought significant benefits to Britain’s economy and environment by relieving congestion on the roads, reducing carbon emissions and improving connectivity for businesses, commuters and leisure travellers.

North West Recovery Task Force

lord rosser: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement byBaroness Vere of Norbiton on 29 January, when was the cross-industry North West Recovery Task Force established; who are the members of that task force; and when they expect it to "deliver recommendations on how best to boost capacity and performance in the short, medium and longer term".

baroness vere of norbiton: The task force is considering a number of options that can be implemented to improve the performance and capacity of all rail services through Greater Manchester. It was established in January 2020 with members from Network Rail, DfT, stakeholders and train operators. It is considering and assessing a range of potential timetable and infrastructure changes across the short, medium and long term and I expect the first recommendations to be made later this year.

North West Recovery Task Force

lord rosser: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 29 January, whether the North West Recovery Task Force will "deliver recommendations on how best to boost capacity and performance in the short, medium and longer term" throughout the Northern Rail franchise area.

baroness vere of norbiton: The task force, co-ordinated by Network Rail, is considering a number of options that can be implemented to improve the performance and capacity of all rail services through Greater Manchester. It is considering and assessing a range of potential timetable and infrastructure changes to be made across the short, medium and long term. The task force has been commissioned to create and develop improvement options in the North West, which includes the Northern Rail franchise area, and make recommendations to the government.

Northern Rail Franchise

lord rosser: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 29 January, whether the plan by Robin Gisby and Richard George to make sure the Government leaves "no stone unturned in improving this franchise for passengers" will be published and made public.

baroness vere of norbiton: Northern Trains Ltd (NTL) will develop a plan over the first 100 days of its operation. This will set out the initiatives and measures that NTL believes are needed to deliver the services that passengers deserve and will be presented to the Government. Once agreed, NTL will publish details of any initiatives and measures to be taken forward and, where appropriate, these will form part of a new Services Agreement between the Secretary of State and NTL. In the meantime, from 1 March NTL will continue to deliver the new trains and associated service improvements that are already underway.

Northern

lord rosser: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 29 January (HLWS69), what, if any, payments or compensation from public funds will be made to Northern Rail arising from, or following, it being taken into public ownership on 1 March; andwhat, if any, payments or compensation will be paid by the current operators of Northern Rail to the Government or any other public sector body arising from, or following, it being taken into public ownership.

baroness vere of norbiton: The financial arrangements for the transfer of services have not been finalised. The Secretary of State intends to hold Arriva, the owning group of Arriva Rail North, to account for their contractual obligations and pursue the rights that arise from the termination of the contract.

Northern Rail Franchise

lord rosser: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 29 January (HLWS69), what is the estimated (1) cost, and (2) savings, to public funds arising from, and following, Northern Rail being taken into public ownership on 1 March.

baroness vere of norbiton: The financial impact on public funds from the Northern rail franchise being taken into public ownership on 1st March 2020 has not yet been finalised. Financial impacts will include any additional subsidy necessary to deliver current rail services above the cost contracted in 2015.

Railways: Capital Investment

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government when communities will be able to apply for the remainder of the £500million fund for the reopening of railway lines.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Secretary of State for Transport is inviting MPs to work with local authorities and community groups to come forward with proposals to explore. He has set out how this should be done and officials are providing further guidance and assistance. He will consider the proposals received and expects to make a further announcement on development funding in the autumn this year.

Railways: Capital Investment

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they haveto make funds available for the construction of reopening railway lines, beyond the £500million feasibility studies.

baroness vere of norbiton: The £500m is expected to fund both feasibility studies and delivery of new stations and new services on lines reopened to passengers during this Parliament. The value and progress of these will be monitored and the funding will be kept under review.

Oswestry-Gobowen Railway Line

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to fund a feasibility study into the reopening of the Oswestry to Gobowen railway line.

baroness vere of norbiton: We have committed £500m to start restoring train lines and stations closed around the time of the Beeching cuts in the 1960s and 1970s. We are inviting MPs to work with local authorities and community groups to come forward with proposals to explore the possibility of reopening train lines and stations. At this stage it is too early to comment on any specific schemes other than those already announced.

Lewes-Uckfield Railway Line

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend tofund a feasibility study for the Uckfield to Lewes railway line.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Department is inviting MPs to work with local authorities and community groups to come forward with proposals to explore restoring railway lines and stations closed in the cuts in the 1960s and 1970s, using the £500m we have made available. Should the Uckfield – Lewes line be put forward as a proposal with appropriate local support, we will consider the case for funding a study.

Railways: Capital Investment

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) miles of lines, and (2) stations, will be re-opened as part of their programme to reverse the Beeching era cuts to the rail network.

baroness vere of norbiton: The volume of railway lines and stations that will be re-opened through the £500m investment being made during this Government will depend on the costs and value or money of qualifying schemes. The Secretary of State is inviting MPs to work with local authorities and community groups to come forward with proposals to explore.

Railways: Capital Investment

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to theWritten Answer by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 16 January (HL122), whether projects funded by the “£500m to start reopening lines closed following the Beeching report, reconnecting smaller towns, regenerating local economies and improving accessibility to jobs, homes and education” will have to go through (1) the Rail Network Enhancement Pipeline, and (2) the Governance of Railway Investment Projects, systems.

baroness vere of norbiton: We expect the Department for Transport’s Rail Network Enhancement Pipeline process and the Network Rail Governance of Railway Investment Projects process will be used to manage the development and delivery of re-opening schemes.

Preston-Colne Railway Line

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they will take, following the ending of the Arriva Northern Rail franchise, to ensure that passengers purchasing tickets for the East Lancashire line service to Brierfield, Nelson and Colne will be able to complete their journeys to those stations.

baroness vere of norbiton: The end of the Arriva Rail North franchise will not impact on the railway’s day-to-day operations. The business will continue to operate as usual with no impact on Northern services. The only differences passengers should notice is services gradually starting to get better.

East Midlands Rail Franchise

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their plans to improve East-West rail links, whether the Liverpool to Norwich service will split at Nottingham; if so, why; and what assessment they have made of this decision, in terms of both costs and revenue.

baroness vere of norbiton: An in-principle decision to split the Norwich to Liverpool service at Nottingham was taken as part of the East Midlands franchising process and was included in the financial assessment of that project. This will be re-assessed prior to a final decision being taken. The reasons for the decision were explained in the East Midlands Franchising Stakeholder Briefing Document published in June 2018. The benefits principally arise from being able to recognise the completely different characteristics and patronage levels of the services either side of Nottingham (87% of journeys are now within the Liverpool – Nottingham section) and then being able to develop the service offer accordingly, rather than simply perpetuating the linking of two separate services undertaken in the 1980s when the railway and its markets were very different.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Directors: Equality

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to encourage greater diversity on executive level boards.

lord duncan of springbank: The Government is committed to working with the business community to create more inclusive workplaces from the shop floor to the boardroom.The Government commissioned and supports the business-led, independent Hampton-Alexander Review which has a 33% target for women on boards and in senior leadership positions across the FTSE350 by close 2020.Women hold a higher percentage of senior leadership positions than ever before and I am pleased that the FTSE100 have achieved their 33% target ahead of schedule.Government also fully supports the Parker Review, published in October 2017, which looks at ethnic minority representation on FTSE100 and FTSE250 boards. The review recommends that FTSE100 and 250 boards should have at least one director of colour by 2021 and 2024, respectively. The Government also supports the recently launched Leaders As Change Agents board which is working to increase diversity in critical decision-making roles.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Eritrea: National Service

baroness goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of the findings of the UN Human Rights Council's Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in Eritrea's second report, published on 8 June 2016, that conscripts in Eritrea are at risk of sexual and gender-based violence.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are aware of claims by women who have left Eritrea that they were sexually abused at the National Service Military Training Centre in Sawa, and these concerns were raised during the Universal Periodic Review of Eritrea in January 2019. The UK is committed to tackling the scourge of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment and continues to call for reform of Eritrea's use of a system of universal and compulsory national service.The Government of Eritrea has justified this service on grounds of the security threat posed by Ethiopia. Following the July 2018 peace agreement with Ethiopia we have yet to see any concrete proposals for reform. In July 2019, the Eritrean Government said that it would undertake a review of national service, but they gave no deadline for the review's completion.At the 41st session of the Human Rights Council in July 2019, the UK renewed calls for Eritrea to reform the national service system, recognising that sustainable reform of national service needs to happen in tandem with an improved economic situation and job creation. We also raise human rights in Eritrea, both directly with the Government, as the former Minister for Africa did with the Eritrean President's senior adviser when she saw him in July 2019, and when the Head of East Africa Department, with our Ambassador in Asmara, saw the same advisor in November 2019.

USA: Land Mines

baroness helic: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the government of the United States' decision to rescind restrictions on the use of anti-personnel landmines by the United States military; and what discussions they have had with that government about that decision.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Government has noted this change in US policy, is working to understand the implications and will continue to engage closely with the US on the matter.While the US is not party to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC), we note their continued commitment to other relevant international instruments, including the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, and their ongoing support to international mine action.The UK remains committed to the APMBC and regularly calls on all states not yet party to accede without delay.

USA: Land Mines

baroness helic: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the compatibility of the government of the United States' new policy on the use of landmines with the principles of the Ottawa Convention.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Government has noted this change in US policy, is working to understand the implications and will continue to engage closely with the US on the matter.While the US is not party to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC), we note their continued commitment to other relevant international instruments, including the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, and their ongoing support to international mine action.The UK remains committed to the APMBC and regularly calls on all states not yet party to accede without delay.

USA: Land Mines

baroness helic: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the implications of the new United States policy on the use of landmines in situations where UK armed forces are deployed alongside their American counterparts.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Government has noted this change in US policy, is working to understand the implications and will continue to engage closely with the US on the matter.While the US is not party to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC), we note their continued commitment to other relevant international instruments, including the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, and their ongoing support to international mine action.The UK remains committed to the APMBC and regularly calls on all states not yet party to accede without delay.

USA: Land Mines

baroness helic: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made, if any, to the government of the United States about its decision to rescind restrictions on the United States military's use of anti-personnel landmines.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Government has noted this change in US policy, is working to understand the implications and will continue to engage closely with the US on the matter.While the US is not party to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC), we note their continued commitment to other relevant international instruments, including the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, and their ongoing support to international mine action.The UK remains committed to the APMBC and regularly calls on all states not yet party to accede without delay.

West Bank: Nature Reserves

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about its announcement that it intends to create seven new nature reserves in Area C of the occupied West Bank; and what assessment they have made of who is likely to be affected (1) positively, and (2) negatively, as a result.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are aware of Israeli Defence Minister Naftali Bennett's announcement on 15 January. We would be concerned by any measures taken that would damage the Palestinian presence and development in Area C. We are encouraging both sides to maintain calm and avoid taking actions which make peace more difficult to achieve.

Visas: EU Countries

lord mawson: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they will alert UK citizens travelling in the EU to new visa requirements that will apply to them after the end of the implementation period.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) will be communicating with UK travellers through a Public Information Campaign to alert them to future changes and provide advice on any actions they may need to take to travel to the EU after 31 December 2020.The FCO will continue to provide advice on entry requirements for foreign travel within its travel advice on GOV.UK. Travel advice pages will be updated to reflect any future changes to visa policy for travelling to the EU after 31 December 2020.

Israel: Palestinians

the lord bishop of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they had with the government of the United States about their proposal Peace to Prosperity: A Vision to Improve the Lives of Palestinian and Israeli Peopleprior to its publication on 28 January.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The US Administration shared details of their proposals with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in advance. The Prime Minister discussed the United States' proposals during a call with President Trump on 28 January and the Foreign Secretary has also spoken to Jared Kushner and Secretary of State Pompeo.

Israel: Palestinians

the lord bishop of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the government of the United States' proposalPeace to Prosperity: A Vision to Improve the Lives of Palestinian and Israeli People, published on 28 January.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: All serious proposals for peace deserve a fair hearing. A peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians that leads to peaceful coexistence could unlock the potential for the entire region, and provide both sides with the opportunity for a brighter future. Only Israeli and Palestinian leaders can determine whether these proposals can meet the needs and aspirations of the people they represent. We encourage them to give these plans genuine and fair consideration, and explore whether they might prove a first step on the road back to negotiations.

Israeli Settlements

the lord bishop of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what status Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank currently hold under international law.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: As the Minister for the Middle East and North Africa made clear in his statement on 7 January, it is the UK's longstanding position that settlements are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace, and threaten the physical viability of the two-state solution. We want to see a contiguous West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as part of a viable and sovereign Palestinian state, based on 1967 borders. We urge Israel to halt its settlement expansion, which promotes the effective annexation of the West Bank, immediately.

Israeli Settlements

the lord bishop of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about the risks to peace of unilaterally annexing land in the West Bank.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa raised our concerns about unilateral annexation with the Israeli Ambassador to the UK on 4 February. As the Foreign Secretary made clear in his statement on 31 January, we are concerned by reports of possible moves toward annexation of parts of the West Bank by Israel. Any such unilateral moves would be damaging to renewed efforts to re-start peace negotiations, contrary to international law and could not pass unchallenged.

Israeli Settlements: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about (1) the punishment of settlersreported to havedamaged a Palestinian school in South Nablus,(2) anydamages to be paid to the school, and (3) plans for itsfuture protection.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: While we have not raised the case in question, we condemn any incidence of violence by settlers against Palestinians. We welcome the efforts of Israeli authorities to address settler violence, and urge them to thoroughly investigate every instance to bring those responsible to justice and end the culture of impunity. We have also stressed the importance of the Israel security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population, in particular the need to protect children. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv last raised the issue of settler violence with the Israeli authorities on 17 December 2019.

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of the Demolitions and Displacement Bulletin, published by Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights covering the period covering December 2019 with an overview of 2019.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are aware of the report in question. The British Government is seriously concerned by the continued demolition of Palestinian property by the Israeli authorities. Demolitions and evictions of Palestinians from their homes cause unnecessary suffering to ordinary Palestinians; call into question Israel's commitment to a viable two-state solution and, in all but the most exceptional of cases, are contrary to International Humanitarian Law. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv have repeatedly raised our concerns about the increase in demolitions of Palestinian properties in Area C of the West Bank and in East Jerusalem with the Israeli authorities. They did so most recently on 17 December. We continue to call on the Israeli authorities to cease the counter-productive policy of demolitions, and provide a clear, transparent route to construction for Palestinians in Area C.

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reportsthat Israel’s acting Justice Minister Amir Ohana has issued an order to seize 4.2 million shekels in assets from the Palestinian Authority as compensation for terror victims.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are aware of the announcement made by Justice Minister Ohana. We strongly condemn all acts of terrorism, there can be no justification for such acts of violence, and every Israeli and Palestinian has the right to live in peace and security. That said, we look to Israel to work with the PA and meet all its economic obligations under the Oslo Accords, including financial transfers.

West Bank: Climate Change

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of climate change on the living conditions of Palestinian communities in the West Bank, in particular those who are unable to construct proper shelter or obtain water supplies.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The impacts of climate change are already being felt across the Middle East, and will become much worse over time. That is why climate change and the implementation of the Paris Agreement is such a high priority for this Government.

Israel: West Bank

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations are they making to the government of Israelaboutthe reported destruction of a well in the Palestinian village of Zawiyah in western Salfit.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have not made any representations on this specific incident. We continue to raise with our Israeli counterparts our concerns about the humanitarian and environmental impact of the damage to water sources.

Rwanda: Children

the lord bishop of durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government ofRwandafollowing the publicationof the report by Human Rights Watch "As long as we live on the streets, they will beat us": Rwanda's abusive detention of children,published on 27 January, which claims that Rwandan authorities are formalising their abusive arrests and detention of vulnerable children under the pretence of rehabilitation.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are aware of the Human Rights Watch report "As Long as We Live on the Streets, They Will Beat Us", published on 27 January, which we are currently reviewing. We urge the Government of Rwanda to abide by its international human rights obligations, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Rwanda ratified in 1991. The UK regularly raises human rights issues in our discussions with the Government of Rwanda. The Prime Minister most recently met President Kagame in the margins of the Africa Investment Summit in January.

Middle East: Foreign Relations

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to consult the governments of Oman and Pakistan, together with Chatham House and the American Council on Foreign Relations and similar institutions, on the best ways to promote dialogue and detente in the Middle East and specifically around and across the Persian-Arabian Gulf.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: A stable Middle East is in every nation's interests. The UK engages regularly, at all levels, with the countries of the Gulf and other partners, including Oman, Pakistan and a wide range of external experts; this includes on regional issues. We are willing to consider any efforts to promote dialogue.

Ethiopia: Politics and Government

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, together with international partners, to help to ensure a stable security environment in Ethiopia ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for August and to support the democratic process in Ethiopia.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK is working closely with Ethiopian and international partners to support preparations for the August elections. Our Embassy is leading international donor coordination around the election in Addis Ababa, and the UK has contributed £15.5m to the UN's "Supporting Elections for Ethiopia's Democracy Strengthening" programme. In 2019, the British Government hosted the chair of the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE), and two NEBE Commissioners observed the UK General Election in December 2019, meeting with elections experts from the UK Electoral Commission, the British Government and local authorities.We will continue to work closely with the Ethiopian authorities, our international partners, multilateral bodies and local stakeholders to promote free, fair and safe elections.

Central African Republic: Politics and Government

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what information they have on the security situation in the Central African Republic following recent violence in the east of the country; and how they are supporting the peace deal signed in February 2019 in order to create a stable security environment ahead of the presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for December 2020.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are concerned by reports of violence and human rights abuses in Central African Republic (CAR) including in the east of the country. The UK supports efforts to bring lasting peace and stability to the country, including as a major contributor (£42 million per year) to UN peacekeeping mission MINUSCA. MINUSCA is mandated to support elections in December in addition to its vital protection of civilians. The UK also finances the EU Training Mission to build the capacity of CAR security forces, helping to improve security in the country. This includes support to the formation of mixed units from military and armed groups, as part of the 2019 peace agreement. More broadly, in 2019 the UK provided around £20 million in humanitarian and development assistance to support vulnerable people in CAR.

African Union: Peacekeeping Operations

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they are working to help to reach an agreement on a UN Security Council resolution on the use of UN assessed contributions to co-finance African Union peace support operations.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK welcomes the efforts of the African Union to prevent, mediate and settle conflicts in Africa and supports the principle of the AU accessing UN assessed contributions for future AU-led peace support operations on a case-by-case basis, subject to the conditions previously agreed in UNSCR 2320 (2016). Proposals for a UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) on the use of UN assessed contributions to co-finance African Union (AU) led peace support operations have been under discussion for several years. A text was most recently proposed by South Africa, on behalf of the three African members of the Security Council, in October 2019. This was then withdrawn pending further discussion between AU members, including at the AU Summit on 9-10 February 2020.We await further clarification from the AU on how the AU would part-fund such an initiative before the matter can be brought back to the UNSC.

Department of Health and Social Care

Vaccination

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey havemade of the causes of the decline in uptake of vaccinations.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: To assess the causes of the decline in uptake of vaccinations, Public Health England (PHE) undertakes annual surveys of parents and adolescents to understand how knowledge, beliefs and attitudes towards immunisation, vaccine safety and disease severity influence vaccine uptake decision-making.PHE believes that the causes of the decline in vaccine include access to services and inconsistencies in reminder communications from healthcare professionals. More information on the survey can be found in the attached National Audit Office report, Investigation into pre-school vaccinations.The Government is committed to improving the uptake of vaccinations which is why we will shortly be publishing a vaccine strategy.



NAO-vaccinations-report-2019
(PDF Document, 1.02 MB)

Vaccination: Children

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what evidencethey have collected to show the effectiveness of actions, taken since 2016, to improve the uptake of vaccinationsof children.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The NHS Long Term Plan set out a clear commitment to improve uptake of vaccinations and a range of action has been taken. This has included expanding key childhood vaccination programmes. All primary school children are now eligible for their seasonal flu vaccination through the National Health Service school vaccination programme after it was extended to include year 6 this season. NHS Digital is due to publish the annual vaccine uptake data, collected by Public Health England, for 2019/20 in September 2020, which will give some indication of whether these interventions have started to be effective.General practice plays an invaluable role in the delivery of vaccination services, especially for children. During 2019, NHS England and NHS Improvement undertook the most significant review of vaccination and immunisation payment mechanisms since 1990. The findings of this extensive review identified a range of effective interventions. The recent update to the general practitioner (GP) contract confirmed the interventions will see the biggest reforms to the payment and incentive system in 30 years to support GP practices improve vaccination coverage.

Prescription Drugs: Misuse

the earl of sandwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they haveto develop and launch a national helpline which is open 24 hours every day to support those affected by prescribed drug dependence; andwhethersuch a service will be developed with the input of relevant charities and patient groups.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: In September 2019, Public Health England published an evidence review on the problems of dependence and withdrawal associated with some prescribed medicines. The review recommended the Department considers supporting the development of a time-limited national helpline and associated website. NHS England and NHS Improvement are considering the recommendations from the review, including the recommendation for a helpline, and other evidence to develop a set of actions to reduce and treat prescription medicine dependency.

Suicide: Gambling

the lord bishop of st albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to establish a publicly accessiblecentral record of the number of people who commit suicide for reasons connected with problem gambling.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: We presently have no such plans. There is currently no reliable estimate of the number of suicides linked to gambling addiction or problem gambling in the United Kingdom. The Government is committed to improving our understanding of the link between suicide and gambling.GambleAware has commissioned some preliminary research into gambling-related suicide, which was published in July 2019, and the Department has invited GambleAware to return to the National Suicide Prevention Strategy Advisory Group to discuss the research findings and what further research may be needed in this area.

Department of Health and Social Care: Data Protection

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that data sold by the Department of Health and Social Care is identifiable.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) is a Government research body providing anonymised health data for the purposes of public health studies and clinical research. The CPRD receives de-identified patient data from general practices and anonymised data from other sources such as NHS Digital, all of which are further anonymised in accordance with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) Anonymisation Code of Practice.Requests for the CPRD’s data are subject to a risk assessment process and research proposals are reviewed by an Independent Scientific Advisory Committee before data are released to researchers, to ensure that the data remain anonymised in line with the ICO code and that patient confidentiality is safeguarded.

Coronavirus

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risk that Coronavirus could be transmitted to the UK on the surface of electronic goods manufactured in China.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: We do not yet know the routes of transmission of COVID-19. However, other coronaviruses are mainly transmitted by large respiratory droplets and direct or indirect contact with infected secretions. It is highly unlikely coronavirus can be spread through packages from affected countries or through food.

Department for Education

Foundation Courses: Finance

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the potential impacton(1) higher education institutions, and (2) access to higher education, of the proposals of the reportIndependent panel report: post-18 review of education and funding, published on 30 May 2019, to remove funding for foundation year courses.

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the proposals of the report Independent panel report: post-18 review of education and funding, published on 30 May 2019, to remove funding for foundation year courses, what plans they to ensure a range of entry routes to degree-level studyremain available.

baroness berridge: ​Philip Augar and his independent panel have made thoughtful recommendations on tuition fee levels and loan repayment, the balance of funding between universities, further education, apprenticeships and adult learning, and we will consider all these recommendations carefully.We are considering the report carefully but have not yet taken decisions with regard to the recommendations put forward.As my right hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation announced on 20 January at education oral questions, the government will conclude the review alongside the next Spending Review, providing the sector with clarity about the future of post 18 education and funding.We want to ensure we have a joined-up education system that is accessible to all and encourages the development of the skills we need as a country.

Social Mobility

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to meet with relevant stakeholders following the report by the Sutton Trust Mobility Manifesto 2019, published on 7 November 2019, to discuss the issues raised in that report.

lord agnew of oulton: The Sutton Trust Mobility Manifesto 2019 makes 10 recommendations across the areas of Higher and Further Education, Early Years, Schools and Internships. The department continues to engage with a range of stakeholders in order to understand what children and young people need, so that they can express their talents and make the most of their lives.For example, the department is working with the Early Intervention Foundation and Local Government Association to deliver a programme of early years social mobility peer reviews, focused on early language outcomes.We have signed a joint understanding with the Independent Schools Council; through which we are working to increase the number of disadvantaged pupils who benefit from targeted bursaries and other forms of assistance offered voluntarily by independent schools.We have endorsed a proposal to use the Office for Students’ (OfS) review of the admissions system to consider the pros and cons of potential models of Post Qualification Application. The OfS has also encouraged the use of contextual admissions and we support such initiatives.

Universities: Admissions

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of proposals to establish a scheme of contextualised university offers to assist those from disadvantaged backgrounds; and what plans, if any, they have to support such a scheme.

baroness berridge: Universities are independent, autonomous bodies. As such, they are responsible for their own admissions decisions. We are aware that many universities already adopt contextual admissions practices, to widen access of students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Office for Students has encouraged the use of contextual admissions and the Government supports such initiatives.

Universities: Admissions

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to meet with relevant stakeholders to discuss the implementation of a system of post-qualification admissions to UK universities.

baroness berridge: Universities are independent, autonomous bodies. As such, they are responsible for their own admissions decisions. The Office for Students is conducting a review of the admissions system and have committed to keeping Ministers and officials regularly informed of the emerging views and any recommendations from this work. The review is due to report later this year. The Government has endorsed the proposal to use the review to consider the pros and cons of potential models of Post Qualification Application.

Schools: Cricket

baroness kennedy of cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they are giving to increase the opportunities forchildren to play cricket in schools.

lord agnew of oulton: The physical education (PE) national curriculum is designed to ensure that all pupils develop competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities, are physically active for sustained periods of time, and lead healthy and active lives.State schools are free to organise and deliver a diverse and challenging PE curriculum that suits the needs of all their pupils. Cricket is specifically listed as an example of a sport that can provide important elements of the PE national curriculum programme of study in key stages 2 to 4.The School Sport and Activity Action Plan sets out how the Department for Education, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, and the Department for Health and Social Care are collaborating at national level. It will ensure that sport and physical activity are an integral part of both the school day and after-school activities, so that all children have the opportunity to take part in at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day. This includes working with sports governing bodies, including the England and Wales Cricket Board, in developing the proposals. As an example of the range of excellent sporting opportunities available to schools, the action plan highlights the England and Wales Cricket Board’s All Stars programme for primary school children.

Climate Change: Education

lord bourne of aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure children are taught how climate change can be combatted.

lord agnew of oulton: It is important that young people are taught about climate change and sustainability. Topics related to this are included in both the science and geography curricula and qualifications.For example, in primary science pupils are taught about how environments can change as a result of human actions. In secondary science, pupils are taught about the production of carbon dioxide by human activity and the effect this has on the climate. They will also learn about the efficacy of recycling. This is expanded on in GCSE science where pupils will consider the evidence for anthropogenic causes of climate change. They will study the impact of increased levels of carbon dioxide and methane and how this can be mitigated. Pupils will also learn about renewable and non-renewable energy sources.As part of GCSE geography pupils will look at the causes, consequences of and responses to extreme weather conditions and natural weather hazards. In 2017, the Department also introduced a new environmental science A-Level. This will enable students to further study topics that will support their understanding of climate change and how it can be tackled.In addition, sustainability content will be included in T-Levels, new post-16 technical study programmes. In setting outline content, the T-Level panels of employers and industry experts must consider the inclusion of sustainability as relevant to their sector. For example, in construction, T-Level students will be required to learn about renewable energy and emerging technologies to support energy efficiency.

Children in Care

lord haworth: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many children looked after by local authorities in England and Wales were permanently placed with relatives or connected people resident outside the UK in each of the past five years.

lord haworth: To ask Her Majesty's Government in which countries outside the UK local authorities in England and Wales permanently placed looked-after children with relatives or connected people in each of the last five years.

lord haworth: To ask Her Majesty's Government under which type of court order local authorities in England and Wales place looked-after children in countries outside the UK.

lord agnew of oulton: The number and location of looked after children in England who were permanently placed outside the UK in the last 5 years is not collected centrally by the department.A child arrangement order, special guardianship or adoption order could be used by local authorities in England to place looked-after children in countries outside the UK when that is in the best interest of the child.The Department does not collect information for children looked after by Welsh local authorities. This is the responsibility of the devolved administration.

Out-of-school Education: Islam

lord pearson of rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Agnew of Oulton on 4 February (HL646), how many madrasas in the UK are teaching for less than 18 hours per week; and how theyassess whether extremist ideology is being taught in them.

lord pearson of rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Agnew of Oulton on 4 February (HL646), what estimate they have made of the number of pupils that are taught in madrasas in the UK.

lord agnew of oulton: A madrasa operating for fewer than 18 hours per week would generally be considered to be an out-of-school setting. The department does not hold data on the number of out-of-school settings in the UK and therefore does not collect data on the number of children who are attending these settings.As indicated in the answer I gave on 4 February 2020, out-of-school settings are not captured by a regulatory framework, therefore they are not subject to any assessment regarding their teachings. However, as set out in my previous answer, the department is taking forward a package of measures to enhance safeguarding in out-of-school settings – safeguarding children from all forms of harm, including extremism.If the department became aware of a setting where extremist activity was taking place resulting in children being at risk of harm, we would work closely with the local authority, police and other relevant agencies to take action. For guidance that covers both out-of-school settings and unregistered schools setting out how the department, Ofsted and local authorities can work collaboratively to help ensure that children attending unregistered independent schools and out-of-school settings, are safe and are receiving a suitable education is attached and available from: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/690495/La_Guidance_March_2018.pdf



HL1377_HL1414_guidance
(PDF Document, 298.25 KB)

Pupils: Mobile Phones

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to ban children from using their mobile phones during lesson time.

lord agnew of oulton: Schools are able to choose how mobile phones are used on school premises and during the school day. This can include banning or limiting their use. Schools are required by law to have a behaviour policy, which should make any policy regarding mobile phones known to all staff, pupils and parents. This policy should also outline any sanctions that will be imposed for breaking the rules. Sanctions can include confiscating mobile phones, where this is set out in the school’s behaviour policy.

Overseas Students: EU Nationals

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government when universities and students across the EUwill receive clarity on which fee regime they will be subject to for the 2021/22 academic year.

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to announce whether students from the EU will be subject to international student fees or continue to be eligible for home fee status for the 2021/22 academic year.

baroness berridge: We announced on 28 May 2019 guarantees on student finance for EU nationals. EU nationals (and their family members) who start a course in England in the 2020/21 academic year or before will continue to be eligible for ‘home fee’ status and student finance support from Student Finance England for the duration of their course, provided they meet the residency requirement.Applications for courses starting in the academic year 2021/22 do not open until September 2020. We will provide sufficient notice for prospective EU students on fee arrangements ahead of the 2021/22 academic year.

Educational Exchanges: EU Countries

baroness garden of frognal: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their proposed replacement student exchange scheme to be used in the event that the UK does not participate in Erasmus after 2021 will be open to further education students.

baroness garden of frognal: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their proposed replacement student exchange scheme to be used in the event that the UK does not participate in Erasmus after 2021 will be open to students from (1) England, (2) Scotland, (3) Wales, and (4) Northern Ireland.

baroness berridge: The shape and content of EU Programmes post-2020, including Erasmus+, are currently being negotiated in the EU institutions and have not yet been finalised. The UK government is preparing for every eventuality, and is considering a wide range of options with regards to the future of international exchange and collaboration in education and training, including potential domestic alternatives. The UK is ready to consider participation in certain EU programmes, once the EU has agreed the baseline in its 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework and has taken into account the overall value to the UK of doing so. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and his ministers regularly discuss matters relating to education and EU exit with the devolved administrations, including on Erasmus+. Officials also hold regular meetings on the topic of Erasmus+ with officials from the Devolved Administrations to ensure close cooperation on this matter. Ministers and officials engage with stakeholders from across the education sector, including further education, to understand their views.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Affordable Housing: Construction

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to build 300,000 affordable homes a year.

viscount younger of leckie: Boosting supply is one of the best things we can do to tackle affordability. We’ve delivered over 1.5 million new homes since 2010, and last year saw the highest level of delivery in over 30 years (241,000 new homes).The Government is committed to increasing the supply of social housing and has made £9 billion available through the Affordable Homes Programme to March 2022 to deliver approximately 250,000 new affordable homes in a wide range of tenures, including Social Rent. We are committed to renewing Programme beyond the current end date to further support our work bring more people into home ownership, and prevent people from falling into homelessness.Since 2010, we have delivered over 464,500 new affordable homes in total, including those funded by the Affordable Homes Programme. Of these, over 331,800 were affordable homes for rent.

Department for Work and Pensions

Attendance Allowance

baroness jolly: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the average clearance time for Attendance Allowance claims, based on the most recent data available, in each of the last five years for (1) all claims, and (2) special rules claims made for terminal illnesses with a DS1500 form.

baroness stedman-scott: The average clearance times for Attendance Allowance can be found in the following table:  All Claims Special Rules2014/1516.9 days 8.0 days2015/169.7 days 5.4 days2016/1717.6 days 6.8 days2017/1819.4 days 5.3 days2018/1920.5 days 6.0 days2019/20 YTD29.6 days 8.9 days

Attendance Allowance

baroness jolly: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of Attendance Allowance claims were successful, based on the most recent data available, in each of the last five years.

baroness stedman-scott: DWP can confirm that the proportion of Attendance Allowance successful claims for the last five years is: - 2019/2020 – 86% award rate2018/2019 – 85% award rate2017/2018 – 85% award rate2016/2017 – 87% award rate2015/2016 – 89% award rate

Poverty: Children

the lord bishop of durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to reduce child poverty levels.

baroness stedman-scott: This Government is committed to delivering a sustainable, long-term solution to poverty in all its forms. Tackling child poverty requires an approach that goes beyond one that focuses on income alone to one that addresses the root causes of poverty and disadvantage and improves long-term outcomes for families and children.Through Improving Lives: Helping Workless Families, a copy of which is attached, we set out detailed evidence on the root causes of poverty and disadvantage and their impact on the outcomes of children in families where none of the parents are working. We also set out nine indicators to track progress in the areas that matter, including two statutory measures of parental worklessness and educational attainment – the two areas that we know can make the biggest difference to children’s outcomes.There is clear evidence that children in working households are not only less likely to grow up in poverty – their life chances are also significantly better. We will therefore continue to reform the welfare system so that it works with the tax system and the labour market to support employment and higher pay. At the heart of our reforms is Universal Credit, which is designed to help people move into work faster, stay in work longer and spend more time looking to increase their earnings. Once fully implemented, Universal Credit will inject in excess of £2bn more into the working age welfare system, helping families in the greatest need.Promoting full-time work through work incentives is a key feature of this approach, reinforced by the National Living Wage and the rising Personal Tax Allowance, which work together to promote independence from benefits.



 Improving Lives: Helping Workless Families
(PDF Document, 812.21 KB)

Occupational Pensions

baroness altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatsteps they have taken to ensure that the pensions industry routinely checks for auto-enrolment contribution data errors; and whether they receive reports from (1) pension providers, (2) employers, and (3) payroll operators, which verify the accuracy of such contributions.

baroness stedman-scott: Successive governments have put in place a robust, proportionate, compliance framework for automatic enrolment, which is administered by The Pensions Regulator, and includes detailed regulatory guidance about how to comply with the law. In addition, employers and their pension scheme trustees, managers and providers must keep certain records including details of the pension contributions payable in each relevant pay reference period by an employer to the pension scheme, and the amounts payable. This includes the contributions due on the employer’s behalf and deductions made from an individual’s earnings towards automatic enrolment. The Pensions Regulator has published codes of practice on its website setting out how trustees of trust based defined contribution pension schemes and managers of contract based defined contribution pension schemes should monitor the payment of contributions, provide information to help members check their contributions and report material payment failures to The Pensions Regulator. The Pensions Regulator receives payment failure reports from pension providers, but these do not necessarily represent data errors. While The Pensions Regulator does not hold statistics on contribution data errors, the regulatory regime is designed so that errors can be identified and material failures can be reported. The Pensions Regulator can then require restitution and, where necessary, make use of its enforcement powers. The Pensions Regulator publishes regular assessments of its automatic enrolment compliance and enforcement activities as well as an annual commentary and analysis report, both of which are available on its website.

Pensioners: Income

baroness altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the (1) total number, and (2) percentage, of pensioners who had an annual income above £50,000 in each of the last three years, broken down by gender.

baroness stedman-scott: Data on pensioners’ incomes at the breakdowns requested are not available. Data on estimates of the levels, sources and distribution of pensioners’ incomes can be found on the government website www.gov.uk.

Food Banks

baroness lister of burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government when theyintend to publish the findings of their investigation into the use of food banks.

baroness stedman-scott: The Department is conducting a literature review on the factors driving the use of food banks, which will be published before the summer.

Home Office

Refugees: Syria

lord carey of clifton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to increase the proportion of Christians accepted under theSyrian Vulnerable Person Resettlement Programme.

baroness williams of trafford: Our resettlement schemes prioritise the most vulnerable refugees regardless of race, religion or ethnicity – we do not discriminate in favour of, or against, any particular group. This is why we work closely with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which has well-established procedures and criteria for identifying and resettling the most vulnerable refugees. Apart from the criteria we set for each scheme, we do not seek to influence which cases are referred to us by UNHCR.However, we recognise how important it is that UNHCR is accessible to the most vulnerable refugees, including members of minority religions, and this is why we are working with UNHCR and their partners to intensify their outreach to groups that might otherwise be reluctant to register. This includes people in formal refugee camps, informal settlements and host communities. The efforts undertaken by UNHCR include mobile registration teams, outreach teams, and helpdesks for areas where different minority groups are concentrated to facilitate registration and access to services.

Criminal Investigation

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many individuals released under police investigation are still under investigation (1) one month, (2) three months, (3) six months, (4) twelve months, and (5) over twelve months, since their release in each police force in England and Wales.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office collects and publishes information from police forces in England and Wales on the number of people released on pre-charge bail, broken down by bail-length. These are published as experimental statistics in Police powers and procedures England and Wales, the latest version of which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-powers-and-procedures-england-and-wales-year-ending-31-march-2019In the year ending March 2019, based on a subset of 41 police forces in England and Wales able to supply data, there were around 86,600 individuals released on pre-charge bail. Of these cases:57% were released on bail for 28 days or less78% were released on bail for 3 months or less22% were released on bail for more than 3 monthsThe Home Office is seeking to collect additional information from police forces on individuals released under investigation, without bail conditions, to provide a fuller picture than is currently available.



Police Powers and Procedures - March 2019 
(PDF Document, 1 MB)

Drugs: Crime

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many individuals arrested in England and Wales in possession of illegal substanceswere charged with possession with intent to supply, as opposed to the lesser offence of possession, in each yearsince 2010.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office collects and publishes statistics on the number of arrests made by each police force in England and Wales for drug offences in each year.However, it is not possible to separately identify those arrested specifically for possession with intent to supply illegal substances or for possession of an illegal substance.Arrests data are published in the ‘Police Powers and Procedures, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, the latest of which can be accessed here:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-powers-and-procedures-england-and-wales-year-ending-31-march-2019



Police and Powers Procedures - March 2019
(PDF Document, 1 MB)

Knives: Sales

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans theyhave to ban the sale of machetes and large knives with serrated or other edges that do not already come under the existing classification of zombie knives.

baroness williams of trafford: Keeping people safe is the Government’s top priority, including from violent crime involving the misuse of knives and other offensive weapons. This is why the law makes it an offence to carry a knife in public without good reason, makes it an offence to sell to under 18s and why a number of knives and offensive weapons, including zombie knives, are banned.The Government does not currently have plans to ban any additional, specific types of knives, but we do keep the law under review and the Government will not hesitate to take action if needed. This is why we have strengthened the law on knives and other offensive weapons, through the Offensive Weapons Act 2019. The Act will make it an offence to possess certain offensive weapons in private, it will stop knives being sent to residential addresses after they are bought online, unless the seller has arrangements in place with the delivery company to ensure that the product will not be delivered to an under 18. The Act will also:change the legal definition for threatening with an offensive weapon to make prosecutions more straightforward;ban the possession of knives on a further education premises;update the definition of a flick knife to reflect changing weapon designs;andintroduce Knife Crime Prevention Orders to help the police target those most at risk of being drawn into serious violence.The Government also works with retailers to encourage responsible sales of knives. We have agreed a set of commitments with eighteen major high-street and online retailers to prevent the sale of knives to under-18s, which cover staff training, displays, and packaging. We are continuing to work with retailers to stop knives getting into the hands of young people.We have also committed to introducing a new court order to target known knife carriers and make it easier for the police to stop and search those convicted of knife crime offences, to deter them from continuing to carry knives, and to make it more likely that those who persist in doing so will be caught, brought before the courts, and sent to prison.

Drug Seizures

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total value of class A drugs seized in the UKfor each year since 2010.

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatwas the total value of class B drugs seized in the UK in each year since 2010.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office collects and publishes data on the number of class A and class B drug seizures in England and Wales made by the police, including the British Transport Police, and Border Force. These are published annually as official statistics and available here:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/seizures-of-drugs-in-england-and-walesHowever, information on the total value of such drugs seized is not held.



Collections - Seizures of Drugs in Eng and Wales 
(PDF Document, 1.65 MB)

Travellers: Trespass

baroness whitaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in their recent consultation Strengthening police powers to tackle unauthorised encampments, the Home Office took note of the Government's Consultations Principles Guidance 2018; and whether the Home Office intends to review its consultation in order to ensure that the views of Gypsies and Travellers can be reflected.

baroness whitaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they took to ensure that their consultation Strengthening police powers to tackle unauthorised encampmentswas available in a form which it accessible to people with limited educational attainments.

baroness whitaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government why the Home Office did not include an Equality Impact Assessment in their recent consultation Strengthening police powers to tackle unauthorised encampments; and what plans they have to conduct such an assessment.

baroness williams of trafford: Home Office officials have worked with the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community (GRT) to agree a bespoke consultation response system to ensure they are able to fully contribute to the ongoing consultation.This bespoke system is now in operation and provides an opportunity for the GRT community to submit their views in a simplified format on the general proposals contained in the consultation. Since its launch last month, over 1700 responses have been received by the Home Office through this method. The views of respondents will be captured in the consultation response.

Cabinet Office

Civil Servants: Recruitment

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byEarl Howe on 21 January (HL527), what plans they have to increase the number of those with science and engineering graduate-equivalent qualifications who enter the Civil Service Fast Stream.

earl howe: The Fast Stream responds to the needs of government departments and professions who request the number of Fast Stream entrants they require. These are called ‘bids’. Our marketing attraction campaign targets specific audiences to meet those needs.The Fast Stream marketing campaign targets science and engineering graduate applications through paid media channels; advertising on job sites such as STEM graduates, Stats Jobs, Economist jobs and with the New Scientist; ensuring a Civil Service presence at the ‘Ultimate STEM Graduate Recruitment Fair’; and posting blogs and content targeting science and engineering graduates on our social media channels.Furthermore the campus outreach programme involves Year 2 Fast Streamers sharing their Civil Service experiences on campuses including those with science and engineering faculties.The attached Civil Service Fast Stream: Annual Report 2017-2018 shows appointments of candidates with a science and engineering degree background have increased from 13.5% in 2016 to 19.7% in 2018. 



Civil Service Fast Stream: Annual Report 2017-2018
(PDF Document, 1.56 MB)

Politics and Government

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to address the reported levels of dissatisfaction with democracy in the UK.

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the University of Cambridge's Centre for the Future of Democracy Global Satisfaction with Democracy 2020that dissatisfaction with democracy is "atan all-time high" including in the United States andthe UK.

earl howe: We will consider the findings of the Future of Democracy Global Satisfaction with Democracy report as part of the Defending Democracy Programme. This programme aims to safeguard our democratic processes and ensure our democracy remains safe and inclusive.The Government is introducing measures to maintain public confidence in democracy by improving transparency and accountability. The introduction of a digital imprints regime for online advertising is one such measure. The digital imprint proposals will be published in due course.The Cabinet Office is continuing to work closely with DCMS, regulators and other key stakeholders to confirm the extent of such regulations and how they can best be put into practice.Voters deserve to have confidence in our democracy and the Government is absolutely committed to ensuring this remains the case.

Ethnic Groups: Equality

lord bourne of aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they are carrying forward work on the Race Disparity Audit.

earl howe: The Race Disparity Unit (RDU) continues to collate and publish data about ethnicity in the UK. The RDU also continues to publish reports on ethnicity, the most recent being on the Black Caribbean, Indian and Chinese ethnic groups. In addition to this, the RDU published 9 updates (https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/dashboards/whats-new) to existing data in January 2020 across a range of topics including school teacher workforce, pupil exclusions, judges and non-legal members of the judiciary, Prison officer workforce, and NHS workforce

Government Departments: Staff

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many members of staff working in Government departments provided fraudulent qualifications between 2014 and 2019.

earl howe: The information requested is not collected centrally. Individual departments have responsibility for investigating cases of qualification fraud.The Government Recruitment Service checks qualifications when a qualification is a mandatory requirement of the vacancy - for example, a suitable degree for a graduate programme. When instances of qualification fraud are discovered, they will be managed by the internal disciplinary procedure of that department.

Climate Change Convention

baroness bennett of manor castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by the Lord Privy Seal (Baroness Evans of Bowes Park) on 3 February (HL Deb, col 1663),what is their timetable for COP26 negotiations.

baroness bennett of manor castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they expect the COP26 venue to operate as one unit without internal security checks or other barriers for all its parts.

baroness bennett of manor castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the First Minister of Scotlandabout COP26.

baroness bennett of manor castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many times the Prime Minister has convened the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Climate Change; and when it will next meet.

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what final budget has been agreed for the cost of hosting the COP26 Summit in Glasgow in November 2020.

earl howe: The Prime Minister demonstrated his focus on climate action on Tuesday 4 February 2020 by launching the COP26 Climate Summit. The text of the speech is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-speech-at-cop-26-launch-4-february-2020Regarding meetings of the Cabinet, it is a long established precedent that information about the discussions that have taken place in Cabinet and its Committees, and how often they have met, is not shared publicly.The negotiations timetable for COP26 will be set by the UK, as President of COP26, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat. The timetable will be informed by the outcome of negotiations, including at the intersessional meeting in Bonn in June. Details of the timetable for high level and public events will be announced by the Government in due course.The UK Government is working closely with the Scottish Government and with operational delivery partners, including Police Scotland and Glasgow City Council, to ensure the successful delivery of COP26 in Glasgow. The security plan for the COP26 venue will be jointly developed and agreed on by the United Nations security team and UK counterparts. Discussions with delivery partners regarding costs for COP26 are ongoing, and final budgets and details are yet to be confirmed.The UK Government is committed to working with the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive to deliver an ambitious and successful summit for the whole of the UK. Details of Ministerial meetings are published quarterly on GOV.UK

Reciprocal Arrangements: EU Countries

lord bowness: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to seek an agreement on (1) mutual recognition of driving licences, (2) participation in the European Health Insurance Card, and (3) mutual recognition of disability parking cards, with (a) the EU, or (b) each Member State of the EU on a bilateral basis.

lord bowness: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bethell on 11 February (HL606) and to the Written Statement by the Lord Privy Seal (Baroness Evans of Bowes Park) on 3 February (HLWS83), whether they will now answer the question put; and under which heading in the Written Statement the issues raised regarding (1) mutual recognition of driving licences, (2) participation in the European Health Insurance Card, and (3) mutual recognition of disability parking cards, will fall under for future negotiations with the EU.

earl howe: The Government considers these topics under “Other Areas of Cooperation” in the Written Statement by the Lord Privy Seal (Baroness Evans of Bowes Park) on 3 February (HLWS83). The Government remains committed to keeping Parliament and the public informed. Further details will therefore be provided as the negotiating process develops.

Treasury

Duchy of Lancaster

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Earl of Courtown on 28 January (HL444), how much money each member of the Royal family received from the Duchy of Lancaster in the last financial year; whether any such money was for Royal or private purposes; and whether any such funds are tax deductible.

the earl of courtown: The Government does not hold this information as income from the Duchy of Lancaster forms part of The Queen's private income. It is largely used to meet official expenditure incurred by Her Majesty and other members of the Royal Family which is not met by the Sovereign Grant, and is taxed to the extent that the income is not used for official purposes.

Royal Family: Helicopters

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Earl of Courtown on 28 January (HL443), how much offunding provided by the Sovereign Grantwas spent on official trips by helicopter between royal residences.

the earl of courtown: A list of journeys undertaken by members of the Royal Family and their staff during 2018-19 which had travel costs of £15,000 or more, met from the Sovereign Grant, is available on the Monarchy website – in the Royal Travel Appendix[1]. The Royal Travel Appendix also sets out that a further 204 journeys were undertaken by helicopter at a total cost of £688,845. Details of journeys below the £15,000 threshold are not published. [1] https://www.royal.uk/sites/default/files/media/royal_travel_-_journeys_costing_ps15000_or_more_final.pdf

Royal Family: Travel

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any travel costs for the Royal family funded by the Duchy of Cornwall can be claimed as an allowable business expense.

the earl of courtown: Appendix B of the Memorandum of Understanding on Royal Taxation [1] sets out the rules for determining the income of the Duchy of Cornwall on which tax is to be paid. Among the expenses to be taken into account are payments made to meet official expenses incurred by The Prince of Wales and any members of his family in assisting The Queen in carrying out Her official duties. [1] https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/208633/mou_royal_taxation.pdf



MoU Royal Taxation.
(PDF Document, 357.65 KB)

Royal Family: Charter Flights

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Earl of Courtown on 21 January (HL288), what advice they have given to the Royal Household about the relative environmental impact of chartering planes for long distance flights when scheduled services are available for the same, or similar,routes.

the earl of courtown: I refer the Noble Lord to the answer I gave him on 21 January 2020 to Question HL288.

Duchy of Cornwall: Taxation

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in light of the fact that the Duchy of Cornwall operates in the private sector, how much (1) capital gains, and (2) corporation, tax has been paid by the Duchy in each of the past five years.

the earl of courtown: The Duchy of Cornwall is a private estate and is not subject to corporation tax. The Duke of Cornwall (The Prince of Wales) pays tax as agreed in the Memorandum of Understanding on Royal Taxation [1]. He does not pay capital gains tax since he does not receive the Duchy’s capital gains. The Duke pays income tax voluntarily on his income from the Duchy of Cornwall to the extent that is not used to meet official expenditure. There is no requirement placed upon private individuals to disclose their accounts or tax to public scrutiny. However, it should be noted that HRH The Prince of Wales does publish an Annual Review [2]. [1] https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/208633/mou_royal_taxation.pdf[2] https://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/annual-review/2018-2019



MoU Royal Taxation
(PDF Document, 357.65 KB)

Alcoholic Drinks: Excise Duties

lord brooke of alverthorpe: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on alcohol consumption from the changes in duty policy since 2012.

the earl of courtown: HMRC publishes a Tax Information Impact Note explaining the impact of alcohol consumption, each time a duty rate is amended. Tax Information Impact Notes are published on GOV.UK website.

NHS: VAT

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whenthey expect to publish the review into the application of VAT as applied to the NHS.

the earl of courtown: The Government is currently working on the section 41 VAT policy paper and this will be published in due course.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of what the expenditure on HS2 could otherwise have been spent on; and whether any such assessment included consideration of the number of affordable homes which could be built with the equivalent funds.

the earl of courtown: The Government is committed to delivering value for taxpayers’ money and all decisions on spending take account of a range of factors including costs, benefits, and alternatives. The Prime Minister has now confirmed that the Government will proceed with HS2 to deliver essential North-South connectivity, greater capacity, and shorter journey times. Investment in infrastructure will level up opportunity and connectivity across the country. The Government is also committed to increasing the supply of affordable housing and has made £9bn available through the Affordable Homes Programme to March 2022 and in 2018 announced an additional £2bn beyond that. In the manifesto the government committed to renewing the Affordable Homes Programme. In 18/19, 57,485 affordable homes were completed in England, up 22% on the previous year.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Exercise

lord porter of spalding: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential health benefits of an active lifestyle; what plans they have to invest in sports and leisure infrastructure; and what steps they are taking to ensure that people benefit from the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

baroness barran: Regular exercise has been shown to treat, manage and prevent a number of physical and mental health conditions. An assessment of the health benefits along with the recommended levels of physical activity are set out in Physical activity guidelines: UK Chief Medical Officers’ report which were updated in September 2019. On investment in sports and leisure infrastructure, the Government's Sporting Future strategy highlighted the significant role that facilities play in helping people to get more active. To support this, Government through Sport England, is already investing up to £125m from 2017 to 2021 to improve sports facilities across England. Last year, the Government also announced significant new funding for grassroots football facilities - an additional £550m, linked to our bid for the UK and Ireland to host the 2030 World Cup. Improving health and wellbeing is a legacy ambition for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. This will include how we maximise the impact of the new sporting facilities being delivered for the Games, such as the redevelopment of athletics facilities at Alexander Stadium, creation of a brand new aquatics centre in Sandwell and the addition of new cycle lanes across the city.

Public Libraries: Visual Impairment

lord bourne of aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they support the provision of library services to the blind and partially sighted.

baroness barran: Local authorities in England have a statutory duty under the Public Libraries & Museums Act 1964 to provide a ‘comprehensive and efficient’ library service that meets local needs. Public libraries have a number of services and facilities available to support visually impaired library users. These include access to e-books and e-audio books, and in some cases the loan of e-book readers and other technology to enlarge the print. Other services include specialist software and hardware to aid the use of computers and specific reading groups. Libraries Connected has developed the Six Steps Promise with the Royal National Institute for the Blind and Share the Vision to ensure libraries can support people with reduced vision. The promise includes a commitment to: ● ensuring that all blind and partially sighted customers are connected to the most appropriate service for their reading needs and that they are able to make full use of an accessible public library service ● using Reading Sight, a free website supporting practitioners and blind and partially sighted people to access reading and reading services; and ● providing local collections of accessible reading materials and information in physical or digital formats, and the ability to signpost library users to a wider range of resources Many public libraries will be taking part in the Share the Vision, HI VIS initiative over the two week period 1 – 14 June 2020. The initiative is a celebration of accessible library services and alternative formats and its aim is to champion and raise awareness of the range of library services and activities that are available to visually impaired people to access.

Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any potential conflicts of interest in grant decisions by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, including for the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

baroness barran: The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music is a registered charity (charity number 292182). The Charity Commission for England and Wales expects charities to have and adhere to a robust conflict of interests policy. The Charity Commission is aware of, and assessing, concerns raised about the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.

Artificial Intelligence

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to introduce an artificial intelligence ethical regulatory framework after the UK leaves the EU.

baroness barran: The government is committed to harnessing the potential of emerging technology, including artificial intelligence. We recognise the importance of strong ethical frameworks and guidance to ensure the appropriate use of data-driven technologies. That is why the UK launched the Data Ethics Framework in 2016, a practical guide for the public sector to the appropriate use of data to deliver high quality evidence for policy making and service design, and the first guidance of its kind. The Framework was developed through open collaboration across the government data science community, academia and civil society and is currently being updated to ensure that it remains a world-leading guide on the ethical use of data in the public sector. The government also established the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation in 2018, to provide independent, expert advice on the measures needed to enable and ensure safe, ethical and innovative uses of artificial intelligence and data-driven technologies. This includes advising on how we address potential gaps in our regulatory landscape, and identifying best practice for the responsible use of data and artificial intelligence through engagement with industry bodies, public service providers and consumers to coordinate world-leading standards and codes of conduct. The UK already benefits from a world-class regulatory regime, and the Centre will build on this by making sure we understand and respond to the rapidly evolving way in which data is impacting our lives.

Biometrics

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intendto uphold the EU's moratorium on the use of facial recognition technology in public places after Brexit.

baroness barran: We understand that the EU have been considering a proposal for a moratorium, but no final decisions have been taken. There are no plans to impose a moratorium in the UK, but we will continue to keep the legal framework under review.

Mobile Phones: Fees and Charges

lord bowness: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, and if so how, they intend to ensure that UK consumers will continue to have the same benefits in respect of roaming charges as they currently enjoy under EU legislation after Brexit; and whether they intend to legislate to ensure that UK mobile services providers give the same protection to UK citizens as EU citizens in the EU currently enjoy.

baroness barran: The current rules on mobile roaming in the EU endure until the end of the Transition Period. Following the Transition Period the arrangements for roaming, including surcharges, would depend on the outcome of the negotiations with the EU. Discussions with the EU on arrangements for consumers, for example in the area of mobile roaming, are not precluded. However, the government has already legislated to ensure that the requirements on mobile operators to apply a financial limit on mobile data usage while abroad is retained in UK law post-Transition Period.

Social Media: Self-harm and Suicide

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to introduce fines for social media companies who do not actively seek to remove (1) suicide. and (2) self-harm, related posts.

baroness barran: The Online Harms White Paper sets out our plans for world-leading legislation to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online. This will make companies more responsible for their users’ safety online, especially children and other vulnerable groups, and will help to build trust in digital markets. The Government will will bring forward legislation to improve internet safety for all, as set out in the Queen’s speech. The new regulatory framework will place a duty of care on online operators. To fulfil the duty of care, where relevant, companies will be required to take robust action to address harmful content that provides graphic details of suicide methods and self-harming. The new Online Harms framework will be overseen by an independent regulator which will have effective enforcement powers, including the power to fine operators who do not comply with the new duty of care.

Instagram: Self-harm

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Instagram about reports that its algorithms cause people with mental illnesses to self-harm.

baroness barran: Ministers and officials have regular meetings with social media platforms such as Instagram on a range of issues, including the use of algorithms to target specific groups. Details of Ministerial meetings are published quarterly on the GOV.UK website.

Cultural Heritage

lord porter of spalding: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of local councils in preserving heritage; and what plans they have to meet with the Local Government Association and the National Trust to discussa strategyfor the future of local heritage assets.

baroness barran: Local government bears great responsibility for the care and conservation of the historic environment. Local planning authorities make many of the decisions regarding change to heritage assets, informed by information they curate on historic environment records (HERs). They have powers to address heritage at risk and are often owners of some of the most important heritage assets in their area. Together with Historic England, our statutory advisors on the historic environment, we keep in close contact with relevant partners on these issues. In particular, the Heritage Council, which includes the National Trust, is chaired by the Minister for Arts, Heritage and Tourism and regularly attended by Ministers from the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government. This provides the opportunity to ensure that issues such as local stewardship of the historic environment are properly considered. Should this be a theme for a future meeting of the Council the Local Government Association and other relevant stakeholders will be invited to attend.

Musicians: Visas

the earl of clancarty: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Sport, Media and Creative Industries on 21 January (HC Deb, col 56WH) that the Government welcomes the views "of the industry on movement within Europe", how the music industry can share such views.

baroness barran: The music industry is a major success story for the UK. The government recognises the importance of the continued mobility of talented individuals and groups to support cultural and creative cooperation and the continued growth of the sector. My department continues to engage on a regular basis with representatives from the music industry at both Ministerial and official level, through bilateral meetings, roundtable discussions, written correspondence, industry events and conferences. This includes the government’s trade advisory committees that help inform international trade policy, and at which the music sector is of course represented. Furthermore, DCMS has facilitated engagement between the sector and other departments in order to ensure that their views are understood at all levels of government. We value the contributions made by the sector this far, and welcome their involvement going forward.

Social Media

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with owners of social media platforms about the support they provide to workers who moderate content.

baroness barran: Ministers and officials have regular meetings with social media companies on a range of issues, including support provided to workers who moderate content on their platforms. Details of Ministerial meetings are published quarterly on the Gov.uk website.

Television: Licensing

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to de-criminalise non-payment of the BBC licence fee.

baroness barran: On 5 February, the Government announced an 8 week consultation on whether to proceed with the decriminalisation of TV licence evasion by replacing the criminal sanction with an alternative civil enforcement scheme. The Government believes that it is right to look again at whether the criminal sanction remains appropriate for TV licence fee evasion, given ongoing concerns about whether the criminal sanction is unfair and disproportionate. Following careful consideration of the responses, the Government expects to publish a response by summer 2020.